Barrel-drying kiln



M. L. MUELLER BARREL DRYING KILN Filed May 1, 192 3 Sheets-Sheet l Ucit. 14 1924.

M. L. MUELLER BARREL DRYING KILN Filed May 1, 1.922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ucih 14L 1924. 1,511,35

M. L. MUELLER BARREL DRYING KILN- Filed May 1, 1.922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 llll hit

ironies a. in uts, or snarrtn, wnsn nreu', 'assreucn o r own-r re unu'r rerun, or sna'rrnn, wnsnrncron, nun our-near 'ro non JBWER RILN 00., OF SEATTLE, WASHENGTON, A COEATTON 9h WEIKNGTGKT.

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Application filed may i,

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that l, Monrrz 1L. Mnnnnnn, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful lnr provements in Barrel-Drying Kilns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dry kilns and particularly to kilns designed for drying barrels or analogous material. While the kiln has been especially designed for drying barrels, it is of course, applicable to drying other material and is not limited to use with barrels.

The object of my invention is to provide a kiln in which such articles as barrel bodies, or staves in the form of a barrel without heads thereon, may be dried so as to properly set the barrel staves in the shape of the completed barrel.

My invention consists of certain novel features of construction which. are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which will be hereinafter described. The

parts thereof which are deemed to be novel and patentable will be defined in the claims terminating this specification.

The accompanying drawings show my invention embodied in the type of construction which I now prefer.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of a kiln embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal 'sec tion of the receiving end of the kiln, and Figure 3a like view of the discharge end of the Min, the same being broken away at difl'erent levels in order to show various features of construction.

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sec tion showing the discharge end of the kiln.

llnthe manufacture cf barrels which are given a taper or bulge, it is thecommon practice to give the staves otherwise finished, a steaming process until they are in condition for proper setting, then to assemble these in the shape of the completed barrel, securing them by hoops and then drying the barrels in this. shape until the staves have been set.' The usual manner of heatingand drying these staves has been to place them over a pot which contains burning feel such as charcoal or coke, the heat from this acting solely upon the interior surfaces of the commonly caused respective ends of the kiln.

against the outside air when desired.

radiating pipes as 30. The ce was. seen na' aerate.

staves and giving them their final set. it has been found that this method of procedure injures a considerable percentage of the barrels by overheating or burning the in nor surface of the staves, thus making these barrels culls, unfitted for high class use and relegating them to alow class of use for which the value is less than were the case had they not been injured during the' drying process. I

It is the object of my invention to secure uniformity in dryin the staves, and to dry the staves both hem the outside and the inside, thus avoidingthe inju so %y the old process of rying over a fire. ll y present invention consists of a kiln having means for passing the assembled barrel bodies, minus their heads, slowly and regularly through the drying chamber, subjecting them during this procws to heat applied both externally and internally, as by the use of radiating pipes located at the side of the barrel and above the barrels, while at the same time causing circulation of the drying air through the barrel lengthwise thereo In the type of kiln herein illustrated, ll employ a central drying chamber 1 which has therein endless conveyors, 2, extending throughout the length of this drying chamher and also into the receiving and dischar e chambers 10 and 11 which are located at t e The receiving chamber 10 is of scient length to receive a number of the barrels and 1s connected with the drying chamber by means of hinged doors, as 12, which are ada ted to swing inward and may be operate by hand or by a barrel carried by the conveyor, 2. This chamber is also provided with hin doors, as 13, at its outer end so that the chamber may be entirely clprsfid e outer doors 13 would ordinarily be clos most of the time u The drying chamber has, extend ng along the sides thereof, heat radiating pipes as/d. It also has beneath the ceilin other heat cated just above the pipes 30 and t ese pip 30 are supported upon beams 31 whch ertend transversely of the drying ebb and at such a height as to provide l for the passage of the lar'g ba till.

till

either till ltltl ldh , quickly which have just been set up,

are to be dried. Above the ceiling 14 is a chamber 4 and beneath the floor 15 is a chamber 40. These serve, respectively, as supply and return flues for the hot air. These are connected at one end of the kiln with positive circulating means, indicated in Figure 3 as a fan located at the point 41. This is connected with the respective flues by pipes or flues 42 and 43.

The supply flue 4 is connected with the drying chamber by a series of openings and with deflecting plates as 44. These are distributed throughout the length of the drying-chamber and-are located directly above the endless conveyors 2. Two sets of such conveyors are employed, located symmetrically at opposite sides of the central line and each consisting of two chains or belts. These conveyors are provided with lugs or any other means which will enable them to positively engage and carry along the barrel bodies after they have been placed thereon. In using the kiln for drying barrels or kegs of moderate size, two rows would be passed through the kiln at the same time. If, however. it be desired to dry .hogsheads or casks too large to permit passage of two rows, a single row would be employed, as is 1nd1- cated by the barrel 5 shown in Figure 2.

The relative position of the smaller sizes is f indicated by the barrel bodies 50.

The floor of the drying chamber is provided with discharge slots 6 located one under each row of the smaller sized barrels, that is, between the companion belts or chains 2 which form one of the conveyors. These discharge slots are preferably made of somewhat greater width than the end of the kiln which is distant from the fan than they are at the end which is next to the fan. The object of this is to insure drawing air from the far end of the kiln. at approximately the same rate as it is withdrawn from the near end. The floor of the kiln is also provided with holes as 60, in which is located one of the wheels over which the conveyor passes. The conveyor may be actuated by any suitable means. Actuating means, therefore, has not been illustrated.

It is designed. for the particular work mentioned, namely, the drying of barrels that superthis expedihigh temperature may be that the barrels may be dried. If suificiently high tempera ture be employed, the barrels will be properly dried so as to give the staves a satisfactory permanent set during their passage through the drying chamber. They may heated steam be employed. By ent a. sufficiently given the air so -t-hen, ,if this be desired, be knocked down,

bundled and shipped, it being certain that they will retain their proper bent shape. at I claim as my invention is: 1.. A dry kiln for barrels comprising'a drying chamber, means for conveying barrels lengthwise of and through said chamber, the floor and ceiling of said drying chamber having, one air inlet openings and the other air discharge openings distributed along the length of the chamber whereby air may be passed both through and around the barrel as it passes through the drying chamber.

2. A dry kiln for barrels comprising a drying chamber, an endless conveyor extending lengthwise therethrough, air flues extending lengthwise both above and below said chamber, the floor of said chamber having a slot extending lengthwise beneath the barrels as they pass through the chamber, and the ceiling having air passages extending lengthwise thereof and connecting it with the upper flue.

3. A dry kiln for barrels comprising a drying chamber, means-for conveying barrels lengthwise of and through said chamber, the floor and ceiling of said drying chamber having, one air inlet openings and the other air discharge openings distributed along the length of the chamber whereby air may be passed both through and around the barrel as it passes through the drying chamber, and steam pipes located beneath the ceiling through which pipes the air passes beore engaging the barrels.

4. A dry kiln for barrels comprising a drying chamber, means for conveying barrels lengthwise of and through said chamber, the floor and ceiling of said drying chamber having, one air inlet openings and the other air discharge openings distributed along the length of the chamber whereby air may be passed both through and around the barrel as it passes through the drying chamber, and heat radiating pipes placed beneath the ceiling and at each side of the drying chamber.

5. A dry kiln for barrels comprising a drying chamber, means for conveying barrels lengthwise of and through said chamber, the floor and ceiling of said drying chamber having, one air inlet openings and the other air discharge openings distributed along the length of the chamber, said openings in the floor consisting of a slot located under the path of travel ofi 'the barrels through the kiln.

6. A dry kiln for barrels comprising a drying chamber, means for conveying barrels. lengthwise of and through said chamber. the floor and ceiling of said drying chamber having, one air inlet openings and the other air discharge openings distributed along the length of the chamber, said openingsin the floor consisting of a slot located under the path of travel of the barrels through the kiln, said slot being wider at one end of the kiln than at the other end.

7. A dry kiln for barrels comprising a drying chamber, air conveying ues located vertical movement of air across t e drying chamber throughout its length, and means for conveying the open ended barrels slowly I drying chamber,

through the drying chamber while in a vertical position.

8. A dry kiln for barrel bodies comprising a drying chamber, a receiving and discharging chamber at opposite ends of the swin in doors connecting said receiving and discharging chambers with the drying chamber, barrel conveyors extending through the drying chamber and.

into each of the receiving and discharging chambers, doors closing the outer ends of said receiving and discharg chambers and means for producing circulation of air across the drying chamber in the direction of the axes of the barrels being passed therethrough.

9. A dry kiln for barrel bodies comprising a drying chamber, a receiving and discharging chamber at opposite ends of the drying chamber, swin in doors connecting said receiving and isc arging chambers with the drying chamber, barrel conveyors extending through the drying chamber and into each of the receiving and discharging chambers, doors closing the outer ends of said receiving and discharging chambers, supply andreturn fines located respectively above and below the drying chamber, the ceiling and floor of the drying chamber having openings communicating with said lines, and means for inducing circulation through said lines and openin s.

' Signed at Seattle, mg County, Wash- 

